Chapter 330: "The Sad News...!!" – Tsunade hears the news from Izumo, Kotetsu and Shikamaru. She states she'll tell Kurenai, but Shikamaru interjects saying he'll do it. Asuma gave him a message for her anyway. Elsewhere Naruto and a clone works on creating Rasengan while another tries to inject Wind Element into it. Kakashi thinks how this approach makes sense. He thinks how Naruto is the only one capable of carrying out this process. He joking states he's really beginning to like him. This throws Naruto and the Wind sphere explodes. He then yells at his former sensei for throwing his concentration for saying weird stuff. Izumo arrives and tells them the bad news. Outside her apartment Shikamaru tells Kurenai the news as well. She stares on in shock and then collapses to her knees. We advance in time to see the Konoha gathered for Asuma's funeral. Kurenai holds flowers and Konohamaru cries for his uncle. Ino asks where Shikamaru is and Chouji reports his mom states he left earlier. In a field outside Konoha Shikamaru stares at the clouds and smokes a cigarette. Later he is back at his house playing Shougi alone. Shikaku watches his son in silence. Shikamaru moves his pieces and then becomes focused. He goes to the Konoha library to read up and a short time later we see him injecting his chakra into Asuma's blades. Time passes and we see Team 10 gear up and prepare to set out from Konoha...

Chapter 331: "Team 10 Heads Out...!!" – A voice orders them to wait, the three turn to see Tsunade. She asks where they're going and Shikamaru states the mission of the platoons is still on and their new team is heading out. She tells them to stop their selfish actions; they can be added back to their teams once a plan is in place. Shikamaru says reinforcements can come later, Tsunade tells them Asuma is dead; they'll need another to make a team. Thinking of Dan and Nawaki, she tells them going out like this they will die needlessly. Shikamaru smokes Asuma's cigarette and tells her Asuma is with them, he does not plan on dying but he doesn't want to run away from his problems. He states he's going to keep smoking until this battle is finished, Asuma will watch over them. She replies they fail to see reality that with three people… but she's interrupted. A voice behind her says another member makes a team, right? Kakashi interjects that he'll watch over them, without a captain to look over them they'll just go on their own anyway. Tsunade relents and Shikamaru asks what of Naruto? Kakashi shows a bandaged hand and states his work is done there. And Naruto's being watched over by another captain right now anyway. Elsewhere Akatsuki has sealed away the Sanbi. The leader looks to the unconscious Yugito and states the Nibi is next. Back in Konoha the Bounty Master sits before Ibiki. Ibiki demands to know what he knows about Kakuzu. The Master replies he won't talk, but Ibiki merely glares and says he has his own methods to make him speak. Outside Konoha Kakashi asks Shikamaru what his plan is. Shikamaru says it's changed since Kakashi joined and he tells them to pay attention. In the Hokage office, Tsunade asks of Naruto's training. Sakura states he's coming along, but it may take longer. She asks if this means Team 7 will be sent out to assist. Tsunade applauds her perception. Shizune wonders if Naruto will get done in time. Tsunade tells Sakura to let Yamato know Naruto has 24 hours to finish. If he can't finish, another team will go. She tells Shizune to get another team prepped in case he doesn't finish in time...

Shippuu-Den Promotion

Chapter 332: "Shikamaru's Battle!!" – Shikamaru hands an item to Kakashi and he thinks over how well the young man was able to insert him into their plan in such a short time. Shikamaru asks that they memorize the plan and they move out. Elsewhere Akatuski has finished sealing the Nibi and Yugito falls to the ground dead. The Leader states there are three Bijuu left. Hidan is anxious to go. Deidara warns him to watch out for the Jinchuuriki Naruto, but Hidan retorts he doesn't take flak from one who had to get their arms reattached by Kakuzu. Kakuzu then interjects that's better than having ones head put back on. Kakuzu moves to leave and Hidan says he's going the wrong way, his partner states they aren't going back to the station, they'll approach Konoha from another direction. Above them a bird spies, it's Ino with her spirit in the birds body. She reports they're taking another route and they move out. As Hidan and Kakuzu move amongst large trees, a shadow stalks them. They notice the shadow and bolt to the ready and kunai rain down towards them. They explode with explosive tags, cutting Hidan's rope connection to his scythe. They look above to see Shikamaru flying through the air, he hurls two knives with exploding tags attached towards their heads. They barely dodge and the knives plant themselves in the heads of their shadows. The two men are confused that the tags didn't explode and they can no longer move! No shadow extends to hold them however. Shikamaru explains Asuma's blades were specially made to hold chakra, he infused his shadow bind into the blades to now hold them in place. Hidan and Kakuzu realize how the young man expertly moved them into position with distractions and feints. Shikamaru merely stares the men down with determination...

Chapter 333: "Affinity...!!" – Hidan begins to panic and Shikamaru replies it was indeed over the moment they were captured. Kakashi watches from behind a tree and thinks how it went well. Shikamaru states he caught them in the right order this time. He then uses his shadow to remove the knife binding Hidan. Hidan yells that he will regret this and the young man retorts that Hidan just isn't that bright. He then uses Hidan to attack Kakuzu. Hidan swings his scythe and Kakuzu ducks. His arm emerges from the ground removing the knife pinning him in place. Shikamaru surmises he extended his arm in the smoke from the first explosive tag. Kakuzu reattaches his arm and gloats that his ability was beyond Shikamaru's calculations, and that unlike Hidan he is a sharp guy. Hidan yells at the put down and he is used to charge Kakuzu. Kakuzu retreats and slams his back into a tree. Shikamaru thinks now is Chouji's chance and without fail his teammate bursts from above in a spin, hardening his hair to become a spiked meat tank. Kakuzu forms a hand seal and is slammed into the earth. Kakashi watches on with his Sharingan. Elsewhere Naruto stands in a huge crater. Yamato is surprised and Naruto says he almost has it. Yamato agrees but states Naruto has to be careful as Sasuke knows the Fire Element and Wind simply makes it stronger. He explains how all the elements are connected in a cycle with an element always being able to parry the other. Sasuke's Fire is over Wind, which is over Lightning which is over Earth which is over Water which in turn is back superior over Fire. This means Naruto can defeat Chidori. Naruto states he has good compatibility with Sasuke and Yamato says he's lucky Wind defeats Lightning. Naruto says that's not what he means. Possibly thinking over an eventual reconciliation and team up with his friend, he replies that Wind makes Fire more powerful. Back at the battle, Shikamaru and Chouji watch the dust clear and a darkened Kakuzu emerge. Shikamaru states that Kakuzu hardens his body, just as Raidou said. Kakuzu states he has a good eye, and that no physical attacks work on him. In an instant Kakashi has thrust his arm through Kakuzu's back and through his heart with his Raikiri. Everyone is shocked and Kakuzu states it's impossible that he moved so quickly without detection. Kakashi replies that he saw that his hardening jutsu was based on an Earth element seal and Kakuzu states he understands then. Kakashi says yes... Earth is weak against Lightning... and it's all over.

Chapter 334: "Black Transfiguration...!!" – Ino and Chouji think how great Kakashi is and Shikamaru figures they need to take out Kakuzu first. Kakashi removes his arm and Hidan tells Kakuzu not to be finished so quickly. Kakashi charges Hidan with another Raikiri and he is suddenly kicked powerfully backwards by Kakuzu to everyone's surprise. Hidan tells him they should finish this quickly and Kakashi wonders why the critical hit failed. Kakuzu removes his cloak to show four masks sewn to his back, the masks peel off on their own to form four individual black oil beasts. Hidan becomes crazed, ready for battle. Ino wonders what they are and Shikamaru and Chouji prepare themselves. Shikamaru's shadow weakens and retreats. Chouji asks why he didn't die and Shikamaru says he's not surprised by their new tricks anymore. Hidan tells his partner they should kill them now but one of Kakuzu's ghosts with a busted mask collapses and dies. Hidan chides Kakuzu for being pathetic. Kakashi emerges and figures that was the mask he struck through on his back. Kakuzu states he'll handle this but Hidan says they've been getting beaten so they'll do their usual attack pattern. Hidan jumps to attack Kakashi while one of the beasts emits a huge Wind attack at them both. Ino sees that the attack hit both men, but with Hidan's immortality he can withstand the attack. The next beast comes at Shikamaru and Chouji with a Lightning attack and Kakashi jumps in front of it to absorb it with dual Raikiri. Kakashi remarks that they're strong, and one has to match the high caliber chakra nature with the same element in turn. He's used Earth, Wind and Lightning so far. Ino asks if Kakashi is okay and he states barely. Hidan congratulates Kakashi for being the first to survive that attack. Kakuzu says he used Sharingan to see through the attack pattern, but what of this one? The final beast wells up to release a Fire element attack...

Chapter 335: "The Terrible Secret!!" – The group jumps away to avoid the attack. Hidan jumps to attack Kakashi who parries with a kunai and then retreats. Hidan compliments his skills. Kakashi tells his teammates that after four Raikiri and Sharingan he can't delay. Chouji asks why Kakuzu isn't dead. Kakashi surmises he crushed his heart, except it belonged to the thing inside which is now dead. Shikamaru explains he saw something similar when Kakuzu extended his arm. They theorize each monster has a heart, to defeat him you must kill all five. Kakuzu says yes, and if he loses a heart he'll simply take theirs. Kakashi asks Shikamaru what the attack plan is and he states to split into two teams, and stop the combo attacks. Ino says she'll go after Hidan but Shikamaru says no, Shintenshin is too risky. He'll take Hidan and after he captures him, they'll move him elsewhere. Chouji says he'll be the bait to capture Hidan but Shikamaru says that won't work either. Chouji needs to work with Kakashi to take out Kakuzu, he alone will take out Hidan and carry out his plan. Kakashi gives Shikamaru back the item from earlier. Shikamaru extends his shadow and the two Akatsuki maneuver away. While Kakashi charges Kakuzu, Hidan chides Shikamaru for being afraid and attacking from afar. However he is forced to retreat again as Shikamaru threw his shadow blade with his shadow. It barely misses Hidan's shadow, who further retreats up a tree. Shikamaru launches the second shadow blade which barely misses Hidan's shadow again. Hidan looks at his shadow and smiles, thinking over how easy it is to avoid the jutsu attack if he just watches his shadow. In an instant he looks up in shock to see Shikamaru himself moving in close to strike him with his fist. Their bodies and shadows connect and Shikamaru states he doesn't just do ranged attacks. He quickly retreats with a successful shadow bind...

Chapter 336: "Complete Turn Around, Predicament...!!" – Hidan is angered and Shikamaru has him drop his scythe; the two men then run away from the battle. Kakuzu chides the Leaf nins for letting Shikamaru take him on alone. He would make a nice bounty in the future, but now he's going to die. He states he himself is strong too and that their forehead protectors remind him of the first Konoha ninja he fought, Shodai Hokage. The team is surprised and Kakashi asks if he really is immortal? Kakuzu says no, there's no such thing as immortality in the world. He merely takes the heart of another stronger ninja before his own stops. With his stock of five hearts he's kept on living. And he'll now take Kakashi's to make up for the one he lost! The Katon and Futon mask elementals then combine. Elsewhere Shikamaru has set wire and exploding tags all around him and Hidan. The shadow bind stops and Hidan gloats this is just how he wanted it, to be alone with him. He charges with his spike and swipes blood which he ingests. He turns into his skeletal outline form, and then stabs his hand to draw the blood needed for his Jashin symbol. He raises the spike to his chest... and we cut back to the masks releasing a huge Wind/Fire attack. Kakashi retreats and releases a wall of water from his mouth, but because Wind was also inside it's not all stopped. Suddenly Kakuzu appears and lassos Kakashi to the ground with his tendrils. Ino and Chouji watch on as Kakuzu prepares to take Kakashi's heart. Elsewhere Hidan has pierced his heart and Shikamaru thinks of Asuma's last words. Shikamaru doubles over clutching his chest. Hidan calls the young man pathetic and states Kakuzu is probably about finished. But as Kakuzu sits on Kakashi ready to pull out his heart, he gravely clutches his own! He groans that he doesn't believe it and Kakashi says oh yes, believe it. Shikamaru knew Hidan required blood so he prepared a blood withdrawing vial. Kakuzu asks when he had the chance, Kakashi states when he hit him with Raikiri he also took some blood. He then retorts, it was Shikamaru who was underestimated and that he couldn't let the information Asuma gave him be wasted. Elsewhere Hidan has turned to go but Shikamaru lifts his head and stares at his opponent intently...

Team 7

Chapter 337: "Shikamaru's Genius" – Hidan moves to leave and turns suddenly to avoid getting his head cut off by Shikamaru. His forehead protector goes flying as a slice is taken out of his neck. Shikamaru extends his shadow to bind him again and Hidan asks why he isn't dead. The young man explains how he quickly placed his partner’s blood on the pike instead. It was his job to trick him. Elsewhere Kakuzu slumps over and Kakashi pulls off the tendrils. Ino tells Kakashi to let her heal him but he says no. The Fuuton and Katon entities charge and Chouji enlarges himself. He slams them into ground but seconds later they come up from the ground and merge into Kakuzu's back. He offers his surprise at two hearts being taken out. Back at the trap Hidan says any idiot can figure out a jutsu if it keeps getting used on him. He begins to move against the bind and states that Shikamaru’s endurance wanes as the jutsu keeps getting used. Shikamaru falls to his knees and Hidan laughs and raises his pike. We cut back to the other battle and the merged Kakuzu has his three opponents bound in tendril lines. He begins another combo Fuuton and Katon attack but they're suddenly countered by a Water attack and a Wind Element Rasengan! As the dust settles Naruto apologizes for being late, standing between Kakuzu and Team 10 is Team 7!

Chapter 338: "When He Was Cursed..." - Team 10 is happy to see them and Yamato states this is the first time he's seen Kakashi look so bad. Kakuzu looks at the dirty Naruto and asks if he still wants to fight him after being beat up? Naruto asks where Shikamaru is. Kakashi summons Pakkun and sends him, Sai and Sakura to help Shikamaru. Kakuzu gloats that the reinforcements are just more hearts for him. Kakashi asks if Naruto is done and Yamato says no, he's about half-way, but even now one can see the change in him. Naruto stares down Kakuzu and makes the hand seals for Kage Bunshin. Elsewhere Hidan tells Shikamaru he should have converted to Jashin, but he yells that Lord Jashin would never forgive his past sins. He moves to strike with the pike but the shadow moves on his body. Shikamaru retorts he doesn't need Jashin's approval, suddenly the shadows on Hidan's body lash out to the wire and tags around him. They pull the wire back and sew it into his body, binding him all over with the numerous explosive tags. Shikamaru throws a kunai at a Nara clan symbol on the ground, causing the earth to shake and drop out from below the now suspended Hidan. A dark tunnel extends far below the Akatsuki member. Hidan is confused and demands to know when this was set up. Shikamaru states he set it up beforehand. Hidan realizes his opponent wasn't trying to be a hero, he led him here as part of his plan. Shikamaru lights a cigarette and coldly states Hidan dug that grave when he killed his sensei. Hidan glares back and states he can't die, even as a head he'll escape somehow and when he does Shikamaru will regret it. Shikamaru states this is his family's private land, no one else is allowed here. He and his clan will watch over the area, and ensure he remains there, forever. Asuma places his hand on Shikamaru’s shoulder and tells him he did well. Shikamaru says yes and the Asuma specter states he entrusts his Will of Fire to him. He then disperses in a cloud of smoke. Shikamaru says "Goodbye sensei" and flicks the cigarette. It arcs through the air and a horrified Hidan can only watch as the lit end touches one of the explosive tags on his chest, detonating it and the others in a massive explosion...

Chapter 339: "New Jutsu...!!" - Hidan's parts fall to the floor far below and he gloats that Jashin-sama will make Shikamaru pay. An emotionless Shikamaru states he's not scared. He believes in the Will of Fire, and Jashin is nothing. The only one giving out punishment is he himself! He then throws kunai with explosive tags to collapse the tunnel walls. Hidan yells that his religion will grow and Shikamaru will be punished. Even if he doesn't have a body, he'll bite him to death! The rocks fall and the hole is soon filled, silencing Hidan. Elsewhere Kakashi explains Kakuzu's abilities. Naruto's Bunshin charge and Ino warns him a direct attack won't work! The Bunshin attack from multiple directions and are soon taken out. Naruto watches on and uses the experience gained from the Bunshin. Kakashi understands Naruto used the first attack as a simulation. Naruto forms new Bunshin and starts forming a new Fuuton in his hands. Ino and Chouji are shocked and Kakashi flashes back to the training. He asks Naruto to form his new Rasengan while he attacks with his own normal Rasengan. Naruto thinks the plan is crazy but the two men charge. They connect and Kakashi falls, he turns and sees the Fourth Hokage in Naruto. In the present, Chouji and Ino watch in shock. Kakuzu himself is surprised, stating he can't get hit by that thing. Naruto's arm is raised high above him. While his clones watch on he wields Fuuton: Rasen Shuriken, in his upturned palm spins a huge destructive spinning wind attack!